Thermostatic steam-trap.



UNITED STATES Patented September 22, 1903.

PATENT OFF CE.

TH ERMOSTATIC STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,279, datedSeptember 22, 1903.

Application filed March 3, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. ATKINS, of Springfield, Hampden county,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in ThermostaticSteam-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

More particularly, my invention relates to that class of valve devicesor traps used in steam heating apparatus in which the thoroughfare orvalve passage-way is controlled by thermostatic action throughthe'medium of a thermostatically-actuated part which controls thevalve-piece to open the passageway when subjected'to air or water ofcondensation and to close it when subjected to uncondensed steam. As nowgenerally constructed such valves employ an expanding plug formed of acomposition of matter highly susceptible to variations in temperature,but owing to the I limitation in the length of the plug the eflectivemovement is very slight, and it has been difficult to obtain sufficientmovement in the valve-piece to properly control the thoroughfare.

It is the object of my invention to increase the effective movementimparted to the valvepieceby the thermostatically-actuated part ormember, 'so that a very small movement in the latter will produce asufficiently large movement in the former, thus enabling thethoroughfare to be opened to a much greater extent than is now possible.This objectI accomplish by interposing a multiplying power-transmittingconnection between the expandingmember and the valve-piece,which may beso constructed as to produce practi- 'cally any desired increase in themovement of the valve-piece.

My invention also embraces certain improvements in the manner ofassembling and combining the parts, whereby thethermostatically-controlled portions may be easily applied to thevalve-body or removed from it without disconnecting the fitting.

In the drawings, Figure '1 is a vertical sectional view of athermostatic valve device embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the valve-piece and the multiplyingpower-transmitting connection.

The valve device consists of a suitable valve-body a, having the usualinlet 12 and Serial No. 96,361. (No model.)

outlet 0, a valve-piece d to control the theroughfare, atherrnostatically-actuated piece e, and a compound lever or multiplyingcon-- nection f betweeu the valve-piece and thethermostatically-actuated piece, by which the movements of'thethermostatically-actuated piece are suitably multiplied in thevalvepiece.

In the construction shown the valve-seat g is carriedby a removable opencage h, adapted to be seated upon the valve-body surrounding the outlet0 and having a passageway i communicating with the outlet .and extendingthrough the seat g. The upper part of the cage carries a tubularextensionj, extendingupward within the tubular bonnet 70, into which itmay be screwed at the top,as shown. The expanding-piece e is supportedatthe top in the tubular extension, preferably by a shoulder e, and itslower. end is pivotally connected with one member of the compound ormultiplying leverf. As shown,

- this multiplying lever connection f consists of two levers m n, ofwhich the lever m is pivoted at one end, as at m, to one side of thecage and'at the other end, as at m to the lever 12, between its fulcrumand free end, and the lever 12 is pivoted at one end, as at n, to theother side of the cage and carries the valve-piece d at its free end 02The end of the expanding piece 6 is pivotally connected with the lever'm between its fulcrum m and point of connection'm with the levern. Withthis construction any movement of the end of the expanding piece 6, dueto elongation or contraction of its body through thermostaticaction,will be multiplied in the free end of the lever n and in thevalve-piece d, carried there-. by, so that very small-movements in theexpanding piece will produce practical movements in the valve-piece.

the valve-piece 01 upon its seat, and the con traction of the plug whensubjected to. air

I v The elongation of the plug e when subjected to steamwillclose orwater of condensation will lift the valvepiece and open the valvepassage-way.

I do not mean to limit my invention to the particular form orproportions of the compound or multiplying lever devices shown, as theymay be varied in many ways, according to the particular construction andarrangement of the valve device and the amount of increase desired inthe movement of the valvepiece.

A spring 0, carried by the cage and hearing at its free end upon thecompound lever mechanism, may be employed to take up lost motion andmaintain the members of the lever mechanism in operative position torespond accurately to the movements of the expanding member.

To remove the thermostatically-controlled parts, it is only necessary tounscrew the valvebonnet k and remove it with the cage h. The cage may bedetached from the valve-bonnet by unscrewing its tubular extensionjfromthe bonnet.

To lift the cage from the outlet 0 for the purpose of blowing out thevalve-body, it is only necessary to unscrew the bonnet-cap p and screwup the extension j in the bonnet to a sufficient extent to lift the baseof the cage from the outlet 0.

I do not mean to limit myself to an expanding member or piece of thecharacter shown, or to theparticular form of multiplyingpowertransmitting connections between the expanding member and thevalve-piece, as these and other details of construction may be variedwithout departing from my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is asfollows:

1. In a thermostatic valve device or fitting, the combination of avalve-body, having an inlet and an outlet, acage removablysecured in thevalve-body, a thermostatic expanding plug supported at one end withinthe cage and arranged to elongate and contract substantially in linewith the valve-seat between the inlet and. outlet, and a valve-piecesuspended within the cage and movable with reference to the expandingplug and arranged to be operated by the free end thereof to close on thevalve-seat when the plug elongates under thermostatic action.

2. In a thermostatic valve device or fitting, the combination of avalve-body, having an inlet and an outlet, a cage removably secured inthe valve-body, fitting upon the outlet and provided with a valve-seatcommunicating with said outlet, a thermostatic expanding plug supportedat one end within the cage and arranged to elongate and contractsubstantially in line with the valve-seat in the cage, and a valve-piecesuspended within the cage and movable with reference to the expandingplug and arranged to be operated by the free end thereof to close on thevalveseat when the plug elongates under thermostatic action.

3. In a thermostatic valve device or fitting, the combination of avalve-body having an inlet and an outlet, a cage removably sec ured inthe valve-body, a bonnet removably carried by the valve-body, anextension on the cage projecting into the bonnet and carried thereby, athermostatic expanding piece carried by said cage, and a valve-piecesupported in said cage, and movable with reference to said expandingpiece and arranged to be operated thereby to control the outlet.

4. In a thermostatic valve or fitting, the combination of a valve-bodyhaving an inlet and an outlet, a cage in said valve-body having avalve-seat fitting upon the outlet of the valve-body and provided with apassageway communicating therewith, a bonnet removably carried by thevalve-body, an extension on the cage projecting into the bonnet andbeing adjustably connected therewith to permit the adjustment of thecage and its valve-seat, an expanding piece carried in the extension ofthe cage, and a valve-piece supported in the cage and movable withrespect to the expanding piece and arranged to be operated thereby tocontrol the passage-Way in the cage.

5. In the thermostatic valve or fitting, the combination of avalve-body, having an inlet and an outlet, a cage removably secured inthe valve body, a valve-piece supported in the cage and adapted tocontrol the outlet, an expanding piece carried by the cage, a leverpivoted to the cage at one end and having the free end of the expandingpiece pivoted thereto, a second lever pivoted at one end to the cage andat the other end to the valve-piece and intermediately pivoted to thefree end of the first lever.

6. In a thermostatic valve or fitting, the combination of a valve-bodyhaving an inlet and an outlet, a cage in said valve-body having avalve-seat fitting upon the outlet of the valve-body and provided with apassage-way communicating therewith, a bonnet removably carried by thevalve-bod y, an extension on the cage projecting into the bonnet andbeing adjustably connected therewith to permit the adjustment of thecage and its valveseat, an expanding piece carried in the extension ofthe cage, a valve-piece arranged to control the passage-wayin the cage,and multiplying levers carried by the cage and connecting the expandingpiece and valve-piece.

7. In a thermostatic valve device or fitting, the combination of a cageadapted to be inserted in the valve-body and provided with a valvepassage-way, a thermostatically-actuated part, a lever m pivoted to saidcage and connected with said thermostatically-actuated part, a secondlevern also pivoted to said cage and connected with said lever m,

. and a valve-piece carried by said lever 71 and adapted to control thevalve passage-Way in said cage. I

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES II. ATKINS. Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLOWS, M. A. CAMPBELL.

